I don't have kids, is this normal now?

[Brenda]

Seems to be a trend in my area where some parents buy or make these large cut out signs and place them in the front yard for their kid's birthday, usually the number of their age and other things.

Last year my neighbor put up signs (they're about 3-4 feet tall) for her 10 year old daughter: a giant tube of red lipstick, a Starbucks coffee cup, a cake and I don't remember the last one.

This year for her 11 year old: a giant black on white Chanel logo, a very realistic looking TikTok logo and a strawberry cake.

Why would lipstick, coffee and Chanel ever be appropriate gifts or "things she likes" for 10-11 year olds?

Maybe I'm just old and out of touch but it gives me the creeps.

[stopdiggin]

1. this is 98% about the parent(s) - Every. Single. Time.

And, yes - more 'normal' now - in the sense that it never happened to children born a generation or so back
(even in parents/households that had every means at their fingertips)

[TBF]

2. In my suburb the outdoor birthday "cards" are ordered from specialty companies

that do this locally. Not just for kids - sometimes it's a graduation, 50th birthday, etc. I ordered a couple times so my kids wouldn't feel left out. For teens they usually focus on activities like sports, dance or cheer, instruments they play, their age in big numbers, and some birthday symbols like a cupcake or balloons. The ones you're describing certainly don't sound age appropriate.

[Brenda]

6. Right?

Maybe it's because of how vast the Epstein/Trump shit show goes that I am hyper aware of child abuse and look at this crap across the street and think, could they be doing child porn with their own kid in that house?

On edit: honestly, Southern folks (of which I am one) do weird shit. For instance since the grandma (who lived with them) died last year the mom pushes a couple of older miniature dogs up and down the street in a baby carriage.

It's just another layer of crap I have to deal with in this absurd world.

[TBF]

20. Yep, I'm in Texas

I try to blend in, not the best at it! (originally from the midwest, we moved here for my husband's job)

[roamer65]

3. Sounds like a waste of money.

Put the money in the kids college fund instead.

[SheltieLover]

4. And wth would anyone want to advertise that a child lives at that address?

[roamer65]

7. It's beyond my comprehension.

Btw

[SheltieLover]

8. Same here, Roamer!

[Brenda]

10. Not sure I understand what you are saying

About advertising that a child lives there?

I don't have a problem with happy birthday cards in the front yard, I think the icons are inappropriate.

[Jack Valentino]

23. Advertising that a child lives there can make them a target for predators...

[Skittles]

5. no kids, and I have never had a birthday party

they all seem over the top to me

[roamer65]

9. I was happy if I just got a birthday cake and some ice cream.

Times have definitely changed.

[Wonder Why]

17. I'll top that! I never had a birthday! I was orphaned before I was conceived.

[Maru Kitteh]

21. When I was in 1st grade one of my classmates mom invited the WHOLE CLASS

for his birthday party. Nothing special. Hot dogs, KoolAid and water baloons. I was just a little kid, but even then I remember looking around at the chaos and thinking “This woman is a SAINT, or she’s nuts.”

[senseandsensibility]

11. Around my neighborhood those are mostly put up for high school granduations

I get the idea that they are sold by the local high school, probably as a fundraiser, and they are fairly innocuous. Just "Proud 2025 Graduate" with the name of the high school, and in some cases a sign about the college they've been accepted to. Doesn't bother me since it's about education and as a former teacher, I know that the faculty at the HS probably worked hard to organize them.

[Brenda]

12. I've also seen those types of signs around, too.

But my neighbor's choice of signs for such a young girl seems really off.

Thanks for your input.

[JI7]

13. Yes, it's done for social media

maybe not specifically what you describe in all cases. But these large displays for various occasions are mostly becsuse of social media.

There is a sort of "keeping up with the Jonses" thing to it.

[surrealAmerican]

14. In my neighborhood, this seems like it started during the pandemic ...

... when parents couldn't have birthday parties for their children, but wanted to do something special.

[Brenda]

16. aha!

That makes sense.
And I live in a state that is about 10-20 years behind the rest of the country in well, name it...

[Niagara]

19. It absolutely started during the pandemic

[Bettie]

15. Maybe it's because I have boys, but all my kids ever wanted

was a homemade cake (chocolate with cream cheese frosting or as they all call it, fluffy white icing)...they never really asked for any presents except the occasional Steam card for games.

I also haven't seen that in our town, but it's a small town with middle to lower income (we're the town people move to when they can't afford to buy or rent in the nearby medium sized city).

Honestly, my kids are pretty low maintenance in terms of birthdays and holidays.

ETA: None of them even really use social media except Discord.

[Niagara]

18. They started this trend during the pandemic because we were on lockdown

People would get in their vehicles and have birthday parades in separate vehicles and drive by the house that was celebrating the milestone. When celebrating milestones during a pandemic, people had to get creative.

It's not just "kids" cut outs, it's for adults as well. Again, it was all due to the pandemic so people could celebrate special milestones.

[Renew Deal]

22. Girls under around 15 are very tuned into cosmetics videos/content

And companies like Sephora are making a killing. I wonder if we're heading back to 80's makeup.